Sporting chance for smokers

The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly has passed an anti-smoking ordinance that is stricter than the national version currently under consideration, according to a story in The Japan Times.
The Times said the capital city’s smoking ban, which had preceded the passage of a similar amendment to the Health Promotion Law that was being deliberated by the national Diet, was intended to rein in second-hand smoke and create a tobacco-free 2020 Olympics.
The Tokyo measure will cover an estimated 84 percent of restaurants and bars across the capital, whereas 45 percent are likely to be regulated by the revised national law.
The new ordinance is said to seek to protect the well-being of those deemed vulnerable, particularly children and employees, with a ban on tobacco smoking on public-facility premises, such as kindergartens, schools and day care centers.
Although tougher than the national legislation, the ordinance stops short of banning smoking in all facilities.
A less stringent measure, for example, will apply to the premises of institutions such as universities, hospitals and government offices, where smoking can be allowed in designated areas outside buildings.
Among those subject to the most relaxed regulation are gyms, hotels and some eateries, where only indoor smoking will be outlawed. And even inside, people will be able to smoke tobacco in segregated rooms specially equipped to prevent smoke from leaking out.
Tokyo’s ordinance is set to take effect from April 2020, just a few months before the start of the Olympics.